Art@Site www.artatsite.com Camilo Otero Cheval Cabre
Artist:

Camilo Otero

Title:

Cheval Cabre

Year:
1980
Adress:
Place Lucien-Herr
Website:
www.parisladouce.com:
Aujourd’hui, je vous emmene dans le Veme arrondissement, place Lucien Herr, decouvrir une insolite statue equestre datant de 1980 et sobrement intitule Cheval Cabre.
Il sagit d’une oeuvre dusculpteur figuratif espagnol egalement peintre et graveur, Camilo Otero.
Frondeur, un provocateur sa voix sest souvent eleve contre l'institutionnalisation de l'art, n’hesitant pas a reprendre parfois certaines de ses oeuvres pour en disposer a sa guise comme la statue d’un taureau qui orna longtemps l'entree du Musee d’Art Moderne de Madrid avant que le sculpteur ne decide de l'offrir a la famille Bose.
Personnalite a la fois simple et flamboyante, cet anarchiste dans l'âme est autant connu pour ses coups de gueule que pour son oeuvre. Celle-ci sarticule autour de la representation animale, un bestiaire fantastique, mythologie ironique, auquel se melent des scenes du quotidien, hommage aux plus modestes comme le motif recurrent de la femme a la criee rappelant sa mere. Un travail creatif dense, empreint de sensualite et d’humour qui flirte avec l'univers de l'absurde.
Camilo Otero cherche a reveler la beaute cachee du monde. Son interet pour l'art brut et l'art du neolithique marque durablement son approche personnelle. Son travail se pare de formes primitives et des volumes de la nature animale. Selon lui la creation sincere en prise directe avec les elements naturels et l'imaginaire donne son caractere a l'oeuvre, un caractere qui vient du coeur et de la passion de l'artiste. Par l'intermediaire de ses sculptures, il ravive le souvenir de sa Galice natale racontant a travers ses souvenirs, une histoire a dimension universelle.
Ne le 12 mai 1932, en Galice a Saint Jacques de Compostelle dans une famille modeste de pecheurs, Camilo Otero etudie l'art tout d’abord dans sa ville natale puis a l'ecole des Beaux Arts de San Fernando en 1947 et ensuite a l'ecole San Jorge de Barcelone ou il est l'eleve du sculpteur Francisco Asorey. Il devient alors professeur de dessin a Sant Jordi. Au milieu des annees 60, il part a Rome puis sinstalle a Paris. Pendant trente ans, il travaille dans un atelier proche de la place Lucien Herr. Son art mature, sa vision saffûte grâce notamment a une rencontre importante avec le sculpteur français Rene Collamarini qui lui transmet son interet pour la taille directe, une approche de la pierre differente, une confrontation directe a la matiere. Camilo Otero reçoit le prestigieux prix Bourdelle en 1975, seul sculpteur iberique laureat a ce jour. En 1984, il participe au concours pour donner un nouveau visage au buste de Marianne. Dans les annees 90, il retourne en Galice. Il vit alors retire du monde tout a son oeuvre et a sa famille. Il decede en 2004.

Translation
www.parisladouce.com:
Today, I take you in the fifth arrondissement, Place Lucien Herr, discover an unusual equestrian statue dating from 1980 and simply titled Prancing Horse.
This is a Spanish figurative work dusculpteur also a painter and engraver, Camilo Otero.
Rebellious, provocative voice has often raised against the institutionalization of art, sometimes not hesitating to regain some of his works to dispose at will like the statue of a bull that long adorned the entrance Museum of Modern Art in Madrid before the sculptor decides to offer it to the Bose family.
Personality is both simple and flamboyant, this anarchist at heart is as much known for his rants as for his work. It focuses on animal performance, a fantastic bestiary ironic mythology, which mingle everyday scenes, as modest tribute to the recurring unit of the woman at the auction recalling his mother. A dense creative work, full of sensuality and humor that flirts with the absurd's world.
Camilo Otero seeks to reveal the hidden beauty of the world. His interest in primitive art and the art of Neolithic lasting mark his personal approach. His work is adorned with primitive forms and volumes of animal nature. He sincere creation in direct contact with the natural elements and fantasy gives character to the work, a character from the heart and the artist's passion. Through his sculptures, he revives the memory of his native Galicia recounting his memories through a universal dimension to history.
Born May 12, 1932 in Galicia to Saint Jacques de Compostela in a humble family of fishermen, Camilo Otero studied art first in his hometown and then in the School of Fine Arts of San Fernando in 1947 and then the San Jorge school in Barcelona where he was a pupil of the sculptor Francisco Asorey. He then became an art teacher at Sant Jordi. In the mid 60s, he moved to Rome and then moved to Paris. For thirty years, he worked in a nearby studio in the Place Lucien Herr. His mature art, sharpens his vision thanks to an important meeting with the French sculptor Rene Collamarini which transmits its interest in direct carving, a different approach to stone, a direct confrontation with the material. Camilo Otero received the prestigious Bourdelle prices in 1975, only Iberian sculptor laureate to date. In 1984, he participated in the contest to give a new face to the bust of Marianne. In the 90's he returned to Galicia. He saw then removed all the world to his work and his family. He died in 2004.